Here’s a review of actions taken by the City Council at their Nov. 18 meeting. If you missed it, the next meeting is Dec. 2.
Looks like it was a night of putting up city equipment and property for sale. Council members agreed with the fire chief’s recommendation to surplus Engine #2. They also voted to surplus the Garden Center building on Main Street by unanimous vote and the parking lot between 111 Court St. and Main Street. (Voting against the parking lot motion were McDonald, Seal and Falgout.) The council also voted to get an appraisal for the Garden Center.
They voted down a motion by Council member Boudin to surplus the Historic City Hall. Thankfully.
(Boudin, McDonald and Reed voted for the motion; Compretta, Falgout, Favre and Seal against)
The council also approved a motion to complete the bid specs for sidewalks from Main Street to the city limits on Old Spanish Trail and authorize the advertisement for bids, contingent on MDOT funding. Councilman Falgout voted against.
Just in time for the holidays, the council unanimously OK’d the use of fireworks from Dec. 19 to Jan. 4.
Members passed a motion to authorize the city clerk to pay $100,000 to the line of credit loan by Nov. 24 and ask for a 60-day extension to pay the remaining $195,000.00. Falgout was the lone no vote.
The members voted to hold a public hearing Dec. 2 on changing the selection of members
of the Bay-Waveland School District from appointments to elected positions.
The mayor, police chief and Council member McDonald are carving out a route for the Turkey Trot Race on Thanksgiving Day. Seriously.
The members approved the following claims docket, with Boudin voting no:
General Fund $116,991.18
Utility Fund $157,328.30
Municipal Harbor Fund $ 8,035.28
Total $282,354.76
I would be checking to see if the city will have to pay back any of the grant funds used for the Garden Center building and the Annex building on Court Street before final disposition. I’m sure that David Kolf has checked it out, but I would have the grant agreements reviewed just to be sure. What a shame that the Garden Center is on the chopping block. With the public parking lot on Main going away perhaps business owners and their customers will begin to use the parking center on Court St. I hope the city will reserve some of the proceeds to produce professional directional signs for parking.
Good points, Mike. Thanks.
Wow! More sidewalks. I have tried to make it clear to City Council and the Mayor. We pay taxes. Do you think we could have a shoulder that is more than 3 inches wide on Washington Street. ( you know, north of hiway 90) Contrary to what the Mayor pretends happened, THERE HAS BEEN NO DRAINAGE WORK DONE IN MY AREA. There are no shoulders. Ask MDOT. They forced the city to add dirt to pave Washington after Katrina using funds before they lost them. There was not enough land to even pave to code. Between the end of the 1000 block of Washington to the corner of Chapman Road, THERE IS NO COUNTY OR CITY WATER. I guess I should not have yanked the Mayor’s chain 6 years ago. Boudin and Falgout. Can you count? 2. 2 against 4? How fair is that? The political machine is alive and well.